en_tn/1jn/02/18.md

Connecting Statement:

John warns about those who are against Christ.

Little children

"Immature Christians." See how you translated this in 1 John 2:1.

it is the last hour

The phrase "the last hour" refers to the time just before Jesus returns. AT: "Jesus will return soon" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)

many antichrists have come

"there are many people who are against Christ"

have come. By this we know

"have come, and because of this we know" or "have come, and because many antichrists have come, we know"

They went out from us

"They left us"

but they were not from us

"but they did not really belong to us anyway" or "but they were not really part of our group in the first place." The reason they were not really part of the group is that they were not believers in Jesus.

For if they had been from us they would have remained with us

"We know this because they would not have left us if they really had been believers"